Plane.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

- J. ALLEN.

PLANE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1902.

I10 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

JEFFERSON ALLEN, OF KENNEBUNK PORT, MAINE.

PLIANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,771, dated March 3,1903.

Application filed April 11, 1902. Serial No. 102,366. (No model.)

- bunk Port, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented anImprovement in Planes, of which the following description, in

connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likefigures on the drawings representing like parts. 1

This invention has for its object the pro duction of a novel plane inwhich the cutting edge of the plane-iron is situated some distance belowthe sole of the stock, whereby the plane may operate upon portions ofthe surface to be planed which are below the level of the higherportions thereof.

My improved plane is especially useful in such operations as smoothingup the boards of'a .floor.

In laying a floor it frequently happens that the surfaces of adjacentboards at their meeting edges are not in exactly the same horizontalplane, one board projecting slightly above the other to form a shoulder,and it also sometimes happens that owing to the slightly-warpedconditions of the boards the meeting edges thereof may be situated at aslightly-lower level than the surface at the center of the board. Undersuch circumstances it is impossible to use the ordinary plane to smoothup the meeting edges of'the. boards, because the sole of the plane byresting upon the higher portions of the boards either side of themeeting edges of adjacent boards lifts the cutting edge of the plane outof contact with the said meeting edges on which it is desired tooperate. Accordingly heretofore the joints between adjacent floorboardshave usually been finished by hand by means of a scraper, a tedious andslow operation. This operation can be accomplished with my improvedplane, for since the cutting edge is situated some distance below thesole of the plane the joints between the boards may be operated uponeven though the boards are warped slightly. U

My improvement consists in providing the plane, of whatever description,with a gagerib which extends across the sole thereof adjacent the mouththrough which the cutting edge of the plane-iron projects. Preferablythis gage-rib will be constructed to be detachably secured to the plane,so that the plane can be used with or without it, as desired.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a planeembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3is a section on' the line w m, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrow, and Fig. 4 is a detail to be hereinafter referred to.

My improvement is of such a character that it may be applied to any typeof plane, and in the drawings 3 designates the stock of one common typeof plane, and 4=is the plane-iron. These parts may be of any usualconstruction.

Extending across the sole of the plane and adjacent the mouth 5, throughwhich the cutting edge of the plane-iron projects, and preferaloly infront of the said mouth, is a gagerib 6, upon which the plane is adaptedto rest.

The cutting edge of the plane-iron will be adjusted so that its cuttingedge is sufficiently below the gage-rib to perform the cut-ting orplaning operation, and when in use the gagerib serves to lift or carrythe sole 7 of the plane above the surface-being operated upon, whichsurface is designated by the dotted line in Fig. 1.

By turning the plane at an angle to the direction of movement thereofduring the planing operation the width of the shaving cut from thesurface may be regulated, and since the sole of the plane is above thelevel of the surface being operated upon it is possible to plane orsmooth the depressed portions in the surface and also to smooth up thejoint between adjacent boards even though the boards may be warped moreor less.

In order that my invention may be applied to different planes, I preferto detachablysecure the rib 6 to the stock of the plane, so that the ribmay be removed and the'plane used in an ordinary way, if desired.Accordingly I have herein illustrated said rib as being formed integralwith a nose-piece 8, which is detachably secured to the front end of theplane, whereby said nose-plate and rib may 'be removed whenever it isdesired to use the plane in the ordinary way. Any suitable orappropriate means may be employed to de-' tachably secure saidnose-piece to the stock,

and for convenience I have herein illustrated said nose-piece as beingprovided with a screwthreaded stem 9, which projects through an aperturein the stock and on which a clamping-nut 10 in the form of a handle orknob may be screwed.

I will preferably provide the nose-piece with the positioning-rib 11,which is received in a suitable groove in the stock. I will preferablyfurnish each plane with a second nose piece 8, which is similar to thenose-piece 8 except that it has no rib 6 thereon, said second nose-piecebeing of a thickness so that when in position its lower surface is inthe plane of the stock 7. By using either of the nose-pieces the planemay be used either as an ordinary plane or may be provided with myimprovements, as desired. I will also preferably provide the heel of theplane with a detachable half round or semispherical projection 13 toform a sort of rocking support for the plane when myimprovements areapplied thereto. This rocking support provides means whereby the planemay be regulated slightly to better accommodate it to uneven surfaces.This projection 13 may be detachably secured to the stock in anysuitable way, and I have herein shown the same as provided with ascrew-threaded stem passing through the stock and on which aclamping-nut 14 is screwed. If desired, however, the nose-piece S andthe rocking support 13 may be secured in position by screws passingthrough the same and into the stock.

My invention would also include a plane in which the rib 6 were madeintegral with the stock instead of upon a separate nosepiece which maybe detachably secured thereto. In such a construction, however, the

plane could not be converted into an ordinary plane.

Believing that I am the first to provide a plane having the gage-ribextending transversely across the sole thereof, I desire to claim thesame broadly and would consider as coming within my invention any planehaving this feature however the said rib may be secured to the stock.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a plane, a stock having a rib extending transversely of the soleadjacent the cutting edge of the plane-iron.

2. In a plane, a stock having a rib detachably secured to and extendingtransversely of the sole adjacent the cutting edge of the planewon.

3. In a plane, a stock, a plane-iron, a nosepiece detachably secured tothe front of said stock, said nose-piece having a gage-rib extendingbelow the plane of the sole of the stock.

4. In a plane, astock having a gage-rib extending transversely of thesole thereof and adjacent the mouth.

5. In a plane, a stock having a gage-rib extending transversely acrossthe sole adjacent the mouth and a rounding projection extending from thesole of the plane at the back end thereof.

6. In a plane, a stock, a nose-piece detachably secured thereto, saidnose-piece having a gage-rib extending across the sole of the stock, anda rounding projection secured to the sole of the stock at the back endthereof.

7. A plane having a gage-rib projecting from the sole thereof adjacentthe mouth and serving to raise the sole of the plane above the cuttingedge of the iron.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

J EFFERSON ALLEN.

Witnesses:

D. W. DEEDLER, O. L. WELLs.

